So, I was going to tell you what happened next....Well, after all the work of the summer, I had everything prepared for the last piece of the puzzle on this holding... pigs. I was about to order a pair of bonhams to fatten, when I got a call from my mate Clive. "Lily, would you like some free pigs?". I ALWAYS look a gift horse in the mouth, so my first response was "What's the catch?" and of course there was one. These were rescue pigs, unwanted pets given as Christmas gifts the year before. Sold as micro-pigs, these two were Vietnamese pot-bellies and of course their owners had soon come in for a nasty shock. I've ranted before about the pet pig trade in this blog post, and if you think there is such a thing as a micro-pig, think again. Some breeds of pigs are smaller than others, but even the miniature breeds start teeny but grow fast. Even the Irish breeder devoted to selling "micro pigs" admits that they can vary in size from small terrier to labrador-sized... think about it, that's quite a big difference, and you can't tell how big they'll get till they finish growing.Pot-belly pigs make tasty, if fatty, meat that's perfect for sausages, so I agreed to take them to see if they could plough my plot effectively.. which they certainly have done! However, the main catch was that they were brother and sister, not neutered, and had been shut up together in a tiny shed. We knew Betty might well be pregnant, but when was she due? On December 1st I found out, when she birthed 3 tiny piglets on a frosty night and promptly abandoned them to freeze to death, which is how I found them next morning.With a heavy heart, I set out to gather up the bodies and bedding for burial. Just as I was about to dump it all in the ground though, one of the piglets gave the slightest twitch! I checked the others, but they were beyond help. I rushed inside with the possible survivor, rubbed him down, spooned some glucose water into him and put him beside the range while I set up a box with a heat lamp and went to buy baby formula. And, so, Hogrid joined the family!

Meet Betty (black all over) and Al Jolson (black face).

Betty and Al Jolson hoping for a hot breakfast!

You might need to hand-rear piglets for several reasons... maybe they are not thriving with the mum, or they become orphaned... some people who do want pet pigs even advertise that they'd prefer to have one that needs bottle-feeding. Little do they know....The reasons that Hogrid almost died, and his siblings did, were twofold. Piglets cannot regulate their own body temperature for several weeks, so without the heat of their mum or a lamp they'll get hypothermia. They also need to feed little and often, and if they don't get fed often enough they'll get hypoglycaemia (just like a diabetic). Semi-comatose and with none of the natural signals he'd get from his mum, this little piggy didn't even know how to feed... I had to start feeding by syringe, and gradually teach him how to suck and swallow till he could manage the bottle.Keeping Hogrid alive was touch and go for the first few days, and he'd crash if he wasn't fed every hour.... night and day. A sow usually lets her young suckle for just 15 seconds every hour, and they take in just 5ml-10ml of milk each time at first. This gradually rises, but at 6 weeks of age a piglet still spends around 15% of its time suckling... that's over 3 1/2 hours a day (there's a good basic guide to hand-feeding here). Hand rearing a piglet is like having a newborn baby in the house, and believe me, this granny is well out of practice and was soon suffering from sleep deprivation!! Another reason that Hogrid wants so much attention is because he's lonely. Pigs are very social animals, naturally living in groups, and even in factory farms (in Europe) all pigs must be able to see other pigs as part of the Five Freedoms. Fortunately, my kitten Sacha is very keen on the heat lamp, so joins him for lots of cuddles :)

As you can see, it's not just her that likes to make friends, and Hogrid has been making an impression on all of my visitors including TY groups, course participants, and fellow bloggers Animal Advocacy and Greenside Up... he's quite the celebrity. Once he's old enough, though, I'm going to get him a girlfriend, move him outdoors, and teach him to be a proper pig... I'll let you know how that works out!

They actually look cute! My kids would definitely love them however a cat might be a more realistic pet for them. Thanks for the post it bought a smile to my face. :-)

Reply

Lily

28/2/2015 09:44:42 pm

Thank you Prem, I'm glad you enjoyed it! And yes, you are right... while Hogrid is definitely a cutie, cats make much better pets :) At 3 months, he is a teenager now, and as much as I love him he can also be as challenging as a human teenager! Looking forward to moving him outdoors as soon as I can find him some suitable company.

Such a lovely post :)
Hope you will just keep him for breeding now he's part of the family - a sweet girlfriend and they will supply you with yummy bacon for years to come...

Reply

Lily

24/3/2015 02:48:13 am

Thanks Amanda, glad you enjoyed it :)
Have no fear, I'm fairly tough when it comes to raising and eating my own animals, but even I'm not hard-hearted enough to eat Hogrid after bringing him back from the brink of death!
I have in mind exactly what you suggested... getting him a girlfriend and keeping them as a breeding pair, for sausages rather than bacon. Watch this space for pot-belly bangers!